Some lawmakers growing more receptive to BRAC

Listen to Katherine Hammack's interview on In Depth.

Despite an initial reluctance from lawmakers to authorize the Defense Department
to conduct a new round of Base Realignment and Closure, some members of Congress
are becoming
more receptive to the idea.

The Army plans to reduce its force to 490,000 by the end of fiscal 2015. But
Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and
Environment, says shrinking forces won't be enough to match sequestration-level
budgets.

"As we're being asked to shrink the size of the Army in terms of manpower, we need
to shrink the size of the Army in terms of bases," Hammack said on In Depth on Francis
Rose. "We can't reduce our operating costs without reducing our
footprint."

The Army's average cost for operating infrastructure is about $3 per square foot.
Through a macro analysis, the service determined that its current infrastructure
is 18 percent more than necessary to support a force size of 490,000. The Army
estimates that the 18 percent excess infrastructure amounts to $500
million in excess costs.

Hammack says the next step is a micro analysis that reveals which specific bases
can be consolidated.

"Unfortunately, we can't do that level of analysis without authorization from
Congress," she said.

A number of lawmakers are hesitant to authorize BRAC because of the
previous round
in 2005. During the restructuring, DoD's costs spiked initially but saved the
department millions in the long run.

"When the Army shrinks, we are going to have holes — sort of like Swiss
cheese on our bases," Hammack said. "You will have under-utilized or un-utilized
buildings that could be of benefit elsewhere."

Under the Army's jurisdiction, the unused infrastructure presents a burden on
taxpayers. But if the service closes some of its facilities, the buildings can
provide value to surrounding communities.

Hammack says a number of state and local governors, as well as congressmen, are
expressing support for BRAC and recognizing the potential advantages.

"We have to remind people that yes, there might be a dip for a period of time, but
there are positives there," Hammack said.